Best Beaches on the Georgia and South Carolina Coast

By Jim Morekis, author of Moon Charleston & Savannah

There are plenty of beaches to enjoy on the Georgia and South Carolina coast, many of them made even more enjoyable by the fact that they tend to get much less traffic than more touristy areas. Here’s a quick guide to match the beach to the trip:

Family friendly

sunset over the atlantic ocean with trees shadowed in the foreground — One of the last truly unspoiled places in the Lowcountry, Edisto Island has been highly regarded as a getaway spot since the Edisto people first started coming here for shellfish. Photo © Cvandyke | Dreamstime.com.

Hilton Head Island’s beaches are roomy and spotlessly maintained. And because no alcohol is allowed on them, they’re more geared to families with children.
Isle of Palms outside Charleston is home to the Wild Dunes Resort, which caters to beach-loving families.
Quiet Edisto Island has absolutely none of the flash that young people tend to gravitate to, but it is extraordinarily safe and friendly.
Popular state park Hunting Island is a great place to enjoy family time on the beach. Don’t miss the hike to the top of the lighthouse!
A playground for the people of Georgia by order of the state legislature, Jekyll Island is a safe, roomy, and friendly getaway.

Start planning your escape

Moon Charleston & Savannah

by Jim Morekis

by Moon Travel Guides

Whether you’re relaxing on a romantic beach, soaking up the rich history, or reveling in the Southern hospitality, dig into these fun-loving sister cities with Moon Charleston & Savannah.

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Peace and quiet

cumberland island's beach stretches into the distance on a sunny day — The Cumberland Island National Seashore is the largest and one of the oldest of Georgia’s barrier islands, and also one of its remotest and least developed. Photo © Quad315 | Dreamstime.com

Romantic and isolated, Cumberland Island is virtually the mossy picture of the old Sea Island South.
You can ride your bike for 12 miles on the expansive, hard-packed sand all around Hilton Head Island, as well as enjoy a number of more strenuous adventures such as parasailing.
The total lack of chain hotels and high-rises on Edisto Island means a laid-back and thoroughly noncommercial beach experience.
Low-traffic Sapelo Island offers friendly folks and a really beautiful beach.
Even lower-traffic Daufuskie Island is where you want to go when only the most laid-back will do.

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Dog-friendly beaches

a pier at low tide on the beach in Isle of Palms — In Isle of Palms there are pockets of great wealth, but also a laid-back, windswept beach-town vibe. Photo © Christian Hinkle | Dreamstime.com

Easily the two most dog-friendly beaches in the area are Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, and Jekyll Island, Georgia. Just keep ’em on a leash and you’re fine year-round.
For a Charleston-area dog beach, go straight to Isle of Palms.
Hilton Head doesn’t allow canines at all Memorial Day–Labor Day, but you can take them on a leash 10 a.m.–5 p.m. from April 1 until the day before Memorial Day.
On Edisto Island, your pup must be on a leash May 1–October 31, under voice command or on a leash all other times.

Sorry, Rover can’t come over to Tybee Island, Georgia, at all.

Jim Morekis

About the Author

Maybe its because he was born in the same hospital as Flannery O’Connor, but there’s no doubt that Jim Morekis has writing in his blood. As longtime editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Connect Savannah, the University of Georgia graduate has written about and experienced pretty much every cultural happening in the area. He credits his love of travel to his mother, Elizabeth, who was John Berendt’s travel agent during his stint in Savannah while writing Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

As for the ongoing debate over which city is better, Charleston or Savannah, Jim calls it a tie: Charleston has better long-term planning, but Savannah has to-go cups (allowing anyone to explore the Historic District with a beer or cocktail in hand).

Learn more about this author

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by Margaret Littman

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